Robert Cahow

Today we visited Robert’s Memorial in the Hurtgen Forrest near Vossenack. We brought flowers and some tokens from several generations.

In June 1944 the first massive attack in Western Europe started. On June 5th Dakota’s and Gliders lined up for action in England.

On the 6th of June, at 6.30 in the morning, US soldiers pressed their boots into the sand. We have poured some of that sand in a ‘V’-shape in front of Roberts memorial.

For V = Victory.
And V = Vrijheid (Freedom in Dutch).

We owe men like Robert for our Vrijheid. The wind will take the sand all over the forest, but the memory will never fade! And we will not forget him or the lessons learned in history, for they were hard lessons to learn.

The actual spot where Robert was recovered has been transformed into a Memorial of it’s own. Unique. Stones from all over the Forrest have been pilled in a tomb-like shape. Messages have been written on stones. Iron en concrete from both bunkers in a 200 meter radius have been added, just to point out the objective of destroying those fortifications has been completed.

The Forrest is still a somehow eerie location. Trenches, foxholes, twisted iron and concrete… everywhere. A few men have left this theater of war without a scratch. This is former battleground, like the Bois Jacques or the Zonsche Forrest… once occupied by young men. Some are still there, and many of the men who did make it trough that part of WW2 are still travelling back in history. And down that memory lane a Gentle Giant is waiting for them. He will always be there, in our prayers. For he is part of the Lightning and showed no fear.

We salute him!
From all of us in The Netherlands…
Remembrance brings us all together!